Commissioner Bud Selig should send a thank you to the Minnesota Vikings for being so terrible.

In overnight ratings of major markets, Game 3 pulled a 10.5 rating on Fox. Meanwhile, the Green Bay-Minnesota game did a 10.3 on NBC. Full ratings will be out later today.

Fox got lucky, or NBC was unlucky, when the Packers pulled away in the second half, seemingly toying with the hapless Vikings. Really, what did football fans do to merit getting  two helpings of Minnesota in primetime in six days?

If the NFL game was good, it likely beats baseball. The Denver-Indianapolis game on Oct. 20 pulled a 17.3 overnight rating.

Selig also should thank the NFL schedule-maker for not placing that game up against the World Series.

More to come.